La Crosse Tribune Sports News

CHICAGO (AP) — In what has been a lost season for him to this point, Chicago White Sox pitcher James Shields believes there's still time to take something positive out of it.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Adrian Peterson can hardly sleep, so eager for the Minnesota Vikings to finally open the season after their playoff loss last January.

HIGHLAND, Wis. — The first three weeks of the high school football season has, in many ways, been a breeze for Bangor High School.

DETROIT (AP) — Jordan Zimmermann is making $18 million this season, which is a lot to pay a player to watch a pennant race from the bullpen.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff matched Nationals ace Max Scherzer and struck out Bryce Harper swinging three straight times. When Eickhoff left, Harper struck back against Philadelphia's bullpen.

PHOENIX (AP) — Hunter Pence had three hits, including a solo homer, and Johnny Cueto pitched seven solid innings to lead the San Francisco Giants to an 11-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bryce Harper looked simply bewildered during his first three at-bats against the Phillies, all ending in swinging strikeouts. He came through big in his fourth plate appearance.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Left-hander Christian Friedrich matched his career-high with 10 strikeouts in seven brilliant innings to win for the first time since June 23, leading the San Diego Padres to a 6-3 victory against the Colorado Rockies on…

GWINNETT, Ga. (AP) -- Blake Lalli hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, driving in Mel Rojas with the go-ahead run, as the Gwinnett Braves topped the Columbus Clippers 5-4 on Saturday.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Kyle Farmer doubled twice and singled, and Alfredo Figaro allowed just five hits over seven innings as the Oklahoma City Dodgers beat the Nashville Sounds 7-1 on Saturday.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Adonis Garcia's tiebreaking single in the 10th inning scored Dansby Swanson from third base and the Atlanta Braves snapped the New York Mets' six-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory on Saturday night.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Joe Mauer's single off Joe Colon scored Brian Dozier from second in the 12th inning to lift the Minnesota Twins over the Cleveland Indians 2-1 on Saturday night.

LIVONIA, Mich. — Led by Natalie Geidel’s team-high 15 kills, Viterbo University’s fifth-ranked volleyball team continued its positive form against top competition.

"I think he's got to be the guy that you can put it on his shoulders." - Paul Chryst

CHICAGO (AP) — Whit Merrifield hit a go-ahead two-run double in a three-run seventh inning and the Kansas City Royals held on for a 6-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.

Observations, thoughts and takeaways from the second weekend of the college football season, which lacked big games, but still provided some drama and controversy.

MIDLAND, Texas (AP) -- Yairo Munoz doubled and singled twice, and Brandon Mann tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings as the Midland RockHounds topped the Corpus Christi Hooks 5-2 on Saturday.

PEARL, Miss. (AP) -- Kade Scivicque singled three times, and Lucas Sims allowed just two hits over five innings as the Mississippi Braves beat the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 4-2 on Saturday.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Joey Votto celebrated his 33rd birthday with four hits, including a home run, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the collapsing Pittsburgh Pirates 8-7 on Saturday night.

DETROIT (AP) — Matt Wieters hit two of Baltimore's four home runs, and Orioles chased Jordan Zimmermann in the second inning and moved back ahead of the Detroit Tigers in the AL wild-card race with an 11-3 rout Saturday night.